as in joining
to become a friend to (someone)
He befriended the new student.
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Recent Examples of befriending
Utterback, who’d just gotten married and bought a house in Omaha, instead devoted himself to learning on his own, poring over books, making regular trips to Japan, and befriending masters of the craft.
—
Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Palmer-Tomkinson was friends with both William and Prince Harry, befriending them in childhood.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Conrad Weiser was a Pennsylvania German who had roamed the frontier for decades, learning the Indian languages and befriending Indian leaders, including some who encountered Washington in Ohio.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Her language skills also aid her in befriending Hanna (Maia Rae Domagala), a 15-year-old German skiing prodigy who has come to Chile to train with her coach, Alexander (Jakub Gierszal).
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 May 2026
Things take a turn when Snow, 40, who plays Sophie, moves to Texas and tries befriending the group of East Texas socialites — only for a teen girl named Abby to turn up dead.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
Beyond the Artforum ads, Bischofberger also made a significant contribution to the trajectory of contemporary art, personally befriending artists such as Francesco Clemente, Julian Schnabel, and Andy Warhol and even transforming their practices along the way.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 9 May 2026
This approach involves befriending the zeros inside large AI models.
—Olivia Hsu, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Apr. 2026
The Ronettes’ sexy look and powerful voices — plus songwriting and producing help from Phil Spector — turned them into one of the premier acts of the girl-group era, touring England with The Rolling Stones and befriending the Beatles.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Palmer-Tomkinson was friends with both William and Prince Harry, befriending them in childhood.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Conrad Weiser was a Pennsylvania German who had roamed the frontier for decades, learning the Indian languages and befriending Indian leaders, including some who encountered Washington in Ohio.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Her language skills also aid her in befriending Hanna (Maia Rae Domagala), a 15-year-old German skiing prodigy who has come to Chile to train with her coach, Alexander (Jakub Gierszal).
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 May 2026
Things take a turn when Snow, 40, who plays Sophie, moves to Texas and tries befriending the group of East Texas socialites — only for a teen girl named Abby to turn up dead.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
Beyond the Artforum ads, Bischofberger also made a significant contribution to the trajectory of contemporary art, personally befriending artists such as Francesco Clemente, Julian Schnabel, and Andy Warhol and even transforming their practices along the way.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 9 May 2026
This approach involves befriending the zeros inside large AI models.
—Olivia Hsu, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Apr. 2026
The Ronettes’ sexy look and powerful voices — plus songwriting and producing help from Phil Spector — turned them into one of the premier acts of the girl-group era, touring England with The Rolling Stones and befriending the Beatles.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befriending
Verb
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What’s more, Korda is only the second American in the past 10 years to win the Open, joining former USC standout Allisen Corpuz, who won at Pebble Beach in 2023.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
Thanks very much for joining us this morning, Senator.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Best Women’s Clothing Deals My favorite part of traveling, besides the destination itself, is curating the ultimate travel wardrobe that perfectly matches the vibe of the trip.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
29 May 2026
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That’s where parachutes made of nylon and Kevlar are stitched together for everything from space capsules coming back to land on Earth or one day traveling to the surface of Mars or dropping military personnel on beachheads around the world.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Verb
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And the indie is committed to connecting writers and editors who’ve been impacted by the carceral system with those who have not.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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While there isn’t enough time in the show for everyone to have a one-on-one experience with the dancer, watching an audience and cast member attempt to get in sync with each other underlines the night’s themes of connecting.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befriending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befriending. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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